Oscar Picks 09

Best Picture Nominees:
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Frost/Nixon
- Milk
- The Reader
- Slumdog Millionaire
Should Win/Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Overlooked: WALL-E, The Dark Knight, Gran Torino, Doubt, The Changeling.

Best Director:
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, David Fincher
- Frost/Nixon, Ron Howard
- Milk, Gus Van Sant
- The Reader, Stephen Daldry
- Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle
Should Win/Will Win: Boyle
Overlooked: Eastwood (Changeling and Gran Torino), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)

Best Actor
- Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
- Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
- Sean Penn in Milk
- Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Should Win: Only seen Visitor and Benjamin Button (both actors performed well, not exceptionally.
Will Win: Mickey Rourke
Overlooked: Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Redbelt), Dev Patel (Slumdog), Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges)

Best Actress
- Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married
- Angelina Jolie in Changeling
- Melissa Leo in Frozen River
- Meryl Streep in Doubt
- Kate Winslet in The Reader
Should Win: Meryl Streep
Will Win: Kate Winslet
Overlooked: Freida Pinto (Slumdog)

Best Supporting Actor
- Josh Brolin in Milk
- Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt
- Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
- Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road
Should Win/Will Win: Heath Ledger
Overlooked: Jason Butler Harner (Changeling), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Ralph Fiennes (In Bruges)

Best Supporting Actress
- Amy Adams in Doubt
- Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
- Viola Davis in Doubt
- Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler
Should Win: Viola Davis
Will Win: Penelope Cruz
Overlooked: Hiam Abbass (The Visitor), Amy Ryan (Changeling)

Animated Feature
- Bolt
- Kung Fu Panda
- WALL-E
Should Win/Will Win: WALL-E

Art Direction
- Changeling
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Dark Knight
- The Duchess
- Revolutionary Road
Will Win: Benjamin Button

Cinematography
- Changeling
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Dark Knight
- The Reader
- Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: Benjamin Button

Costume Design
- Australia
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Duchess
- Milk
- Revolutionary Road
Will Win: Benjamin Button

Documentary Feature:
- The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
- Encounters at the End of the World
- The Garden
- Man on Wire
- Trouble the Water
Will Win: Man On Wire

Documentary Short Subject
- The Conscience of Nhem En
- The Final Inch
- Smile Pinki
- The Witness
Will Win: The Conscience of Nhem En

Film Editing
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Dark Knight
- Frost/Nixon
- Milk
- Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: Slumdog

Best foreign language film of the year
- The Baader Meinhof Complex
- The Class
- Departures
- Revanche
- Waltz with Bashir
Will Win: Waltz with Bashir

Achievement in makeup
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Dark Knight
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Will Win: Benjamin Button

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Defiance
- Milk
- Slumdog Millionaire
- WALL-E
Will Win: Slumdog

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
- “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”
- “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
- “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
Will Win: WALL-E

Best animated short film
- “La Maison en Petits Cubes”
- “Lavatory - Lovestory”
- “Oktapodi”
- “Presto”
- “This Way Up”
Will Win: ummm Presto

Best live action short film
- “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)”
- “Manon on the Asphalt”
- “New Boy”
- “The Pig”
- “Spielzeugland (Toyland)”
Will Win: New Boy

Achievement in sound editing
- “The Dark Knight”
- “Iron Man”
- “Slumdog Millionaire”
- “WALL-E”
- “Wanted”
Will Win: WALL-E

Achievement in sound mixing
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
- “The Dark Knight”
- “Slumdog Millionaire”
- “WALL-E”
- “Wanted”
Will Win: WALL-E

Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
Will Win: Benjamin Button

Adapted screenplay
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
- “Doubt”
- “Frost/Nixon”
- “The Reader”
- “Slumdog Millionaire”
Will Win: Slumdog
Should Win: Doubt

Original screenplay
“Frozen River”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”
“Milk”
“WALL-E”
Will Win: Milk
Should Win: WALL-E

Keeping Watch 2

Excellent work from Pres. Obama on several fronts today.

In an interview with CNN today he admitted that he'd "screwed up" the promotion of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to the cabinet post of health secretary. While clear to casual observers, the admission of mishandling something is a rare mea culpa from a president (especially an immensely popular one).

Also, Pres. Obama truly reached across the aisle to select Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican from New Hampshire, as his commerce secretary. As a skeptical — and admittedly cynical — journalist, I questioned whether the move was actually a naked bid to filibuster-proof the Senate. Those concerns were allayed, however, when New Hampshire's Democratic governor selected Gregg's now former chief of staff Bonnie Newman to fill the Senate vacancy created with Gregg's appointment. Kudos to the president and Gov. John Lynch for truly trying to bridge the divide (even though they don't have to).